For the first few months, Carol really did try.

She’d pack my lunches with little notes that said “Have a great day!” She helped me with homework and even took me shopping for back-to-school clothes.

“Just us girls,” she’d say with a wink. “We need to stick together.”

But slowly, things started to change.

It was little things at first.

She’d forget to save me dinner when I had late soccer practice. She’d “accidentally” put my favorite sweater in the wrong load of laundry and shrink it.

When I mentioned these things to Dad, Carol would look so hurt.